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在早前的專欄，筆者曾與同學介紹metaphor（隱喻）和simile（明喻）的用法和分別。今期想和大家探討另外兩個修辭手法─personification（擬人法）與hyperbole（誇張法）。懂得基本文學修辭手法，能讓考生在回答Reading Comprehension Part B2的問題中應用得到，從而提升表現。現在讓我們看看它們的用法和例子吧！
「死亡」喻「紳士」 展無痛之旅
簡單來說，擬人法是將一些人類擁有的特性投放在死物或抽象的concept（概念）上，令那些死物變得更生動有趣。例如：Although opportunity was knocking at her door, she didn't answer it，句中的「機會」被賦予人類的特性，令整句變得更有趣。美國詩人Emily Dickenson在其一首聞名於世的詩中，亦用上擬人法把死亡表達得更傳神。詩中頭幾行是這樣的：
Because I could not stop for Death -
He kindly stopped for me -
The Carriage held out but just Ourselves -
And Immortality（永恆）.
We slowly drove - He knew no haste
And I had put away
my labor and my leisure too,
For his civility（禮貌）-
死亡被比喻為一位紳士，死亡用它的馬車，帶着講者慢慢地遊歷不同地方。通過擬人法，作者將死亡表現為一程painless ride。
一口氣吞水一加侖──口渴如漠
至於誇張法是將某些情況誇大，藉以強調事情。例如：I feel so thirsty that I can finish a whole gallon of water now，"gallon"（加侖）是液體量度單位，在英制中，一加侖等於4.54升。一個正常人當然無可能一口氣飲完一加侖水。這誇張的句字強調作者是何等口喝。只要你學會以上修辭手法，除可應付Reading Comprehension外，不妨嘗試在作文中加插它們，令讀者覺得整篇文章更有趣。
Practice
Read the following sentences. Identify whether personification or hyperbole has been used in the following sentences. Then, underline the relevant parts.
1. The tsunami devoured anything standing in its way.
2. "The class is so boring that I am bored to death. How can you remain focused? "
3. It is normal that winter's icy grip causes people to shudder; it is also normal that in such icy weather I often feel so hungry that I can eat a horse.
Answers
1. The tsunami devoured anything standing in its way.（Personification）
2. "The class is so boring that I am bored to death. How can you remain focused? "（Hyperbole）
3. It is normal that winter's icy grip causes people to shudder; it is also normal that in such icy weather I often feel so hungry that I can eat a horse.（Personification; hyperbole）
Remark: while "I can eat a horse" is a hyperbole, it is often considered as a common idiom.
■Dr. A. Chan
作者簡介：哲學博士，哲學碩士，文學士，英語講師。熟悉公開考試之出題模式與評分準則，任教英語。
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